Bench



United States Patent 3,300,246 BENCH Walter J. Bouche, 1020 Hickory Hill Drive, Green Bay, Wis. 54304 Filed Feb. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 525,798 Claims. (Cl. 297232) This invention relates to various seating arrangements, and more particularly a bench.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a bench having adjustable seats and being designed in such a manner that there are no obstructions under the seat members thereby reducing labor to a minimum in sweeping and cleaning of the floor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bench which is provided with foldable seats and removable arm rests.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bench for use in churches, theaters, auditoriums, stadiums, and the like.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bench which is of rigid construction, inexpensive to manufacture and provides maximum utility to its users.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the I-beam shown removed from the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a elevated end view of the armrest arrangement.

FIGURE 6 is a top view of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the bench showing the armrest arrangement attached thereto.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a bench 10 includes a pair of vertical side frames 12 which are fixedly secured to a rectangular upper rear panel 14. A rectanular lower rear panel 16 is spaced apart from the upper rear panel 14 and is fixedly secured between side frames 12 thus providing maximum rigidity for bench 10. A rectangular base 18 is fixedly secured to the lowermost portions of side frames 12. Also, plurality of back rest members 20 are secured to the front of the upper rear panel 14. Headrests 22 are aflixed to the front of the upper rear panel 14 above the backrest members 20 thereby providing means for the persons sitting upon bench 10 to comfortably rest their heads on rest members 22. A rectangular support member 24 is fixedly secured to the inside portion of each side frame 12, which frame is provided with at least a pair of U-shaped cutouts 26 for admitting an elongated I-beam 28 therein. The beam 28 is arranged to support seats 30 which are interconnected by an elongated pivot bar 32. Said bar is secured within the side frames 12 of bench 10 thereby providing pivotable action for seats 30. U-sh-aped handle 34 is secured to the center of I-beam 28 for raising all of the seats 30 when it is necessary to clean the base 18. A pair of spaced apart knee rests members 36 are secured to a pair of spaced apart sides 38 which may be affixed upon or may be placed forwardly of bench 10 if desired. A plurality of spaced apart U-shaped members 40 are fixedly secured beneath knee rest members 36 thereby providing support "ice means for telescoping sleeves 42 and 43 respectively. Sleeves 42 and 43 are adapted to provide means of extending the length of knee rest members 36 when desired.

In use, seats 30 of bench 10 may be raised collectively by grasping handle 34 and lifting I-beam 28. I-beam 28 may be moved forward or rearward to compensate for any weight adjustment necessary by removing it from one set of openings 26 and placing it into another set of openings. It shall be noted that bench 10 may be constructed of wood, plastic or any other substance.

In its modified form the invention provides for a strip of flexible material 44, one end of which is provided with a hook 45 for securing said strip to the uppermostex tremity of the rest member 20 and thereby providing an armrest for the user of bench 10. The top portion of strip 44 is provided with an armrest padding 46 suitably secured to said strip. The bottom portion of said strip (see FIGURE 5) is provided with a substantially rectangular support member 47 having a lateral slot 48 therein which is adapted to be enclosed around a portion of I-beam 28 for affixing the other end of strip 44 to the bottom portion of seat 30. FIGURE 7 shows the positioning of the armrest arrangement when in use. If it is desired to remove said arrangement from the bench 10, hook 45 is raised and removed from the rest member 20, afterwards the support member 47 is pushed downwardly releasing it from I-beam 28.

What I now claim is:

1. A bench comprising, in combination, a pair of side frames adapted to provide armrest means for the occupants seated at the ends of said bench, a rectangular base member carried by said side frames providing ground rest means for said bench, a rectangular upper rear panel supported by said side frames, a rectangular lower rear panel supported between said side frames in cooperation with said upper rear panel adapted to provide support means for said bench, a plurality of headrests and a plurality of backrests supported on said bench, a plurality of pivotable seat members interposed between said side frames of said bench, an I-beam cross-member providing support means for said pivotable seat members, a pair of slotted support members carried by said side frames adapted to support the ends of said I-beam a pair of telescoping knee rests members adapted to provide knee and feet rest means for said bench, said knee rest members are adapted to be removed from said bench during the cleaning operations, said knee rest members being laterally adjacent to each other and having a plurality of U-sh-a-ped members of their underside supported on a telescoping sleeve unit, and at least one portable armrestmember adapted to be removably secured between said backrests, said armrest member including a flexible strip having a substantially resilient cushion thereon for positioning arms and hands of the persons sitting on said bench, a hook member for the top portion of each said strip for securing said strip to the top portion of said backrest, the other end of said strip being provided with a slot-ted securing member for aflixing the other end of said strip to said I-beam.

2. The bench according to claim 1, wherein said upper rear panel is provided with at least one recess for admitting said hook member of said armrest member.

3. The bench according to claim 1, wherein at least one said headrest is in alignment with at least one said backrest, said headrest and said backrest are spaced apart from each other and are secured to the front side of said upper rear panel for providing substantially vertical relationship therebetween.

4. The bench according to claim 1, wherein said pivotable seat members are adapted to be received by an elongated bar secured bet-ween said side frames thereby allow- 3 l 4 ing a plurality of seat members to be lifted at once by 1,104,360 7/1914 Kusterer 297423 raising said I-bearn. 1,531,184 3/1925 Hodges 297-232 5. The bench according to claim 4, wherein a U-shaped 1,662,378 3/ 1928 Duke 297-257 handle secured to said I-beam for lifting said beam by 2,258,864 10/1941 Rieger 297-257 manual efiort. 5 2,633,180 3/1953 Reed 297-194 References Cited by the Examiner FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner.

579,027 3/1897 Webb 297-396 10 

1. A BENCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF SIDE FRAMES ADAPTED TO PROVIDE ARMREST MEANS FOR THE OCCUPANTS SEATED AT THE ENDS OF SAID BENCH, A RECTANGULAR BASE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SIDE FRAMES PROVIDING GROUND REST MEANS FOR SAID BENCH, A RECTANGULAR UPPER REAR PANEL SUPPORTED BY SAID SIDE FRAMES, A RECTANGULAR LOWER REAR PANEL SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID SIDE FRAMES IN COOPERATION WITH SAID UPPER REAR PANEL ADAPTED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID BENCH, A PLURALITY OF HEADRESTS AND A PLURALITY OF BACKRESTS SUPPORTED ON SAID BENCH, A PLURALITY OF PIVOTABLE SEAT MEMBERS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SIDE FRAMES OF SAID BENCH, AN I-BEAM CROSS-MEMBER PROVIDING SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID PIVOTABLE SEAT MEMBERS, A PAIR OF SLOTTED SUPPORT MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID SIDE FRAMES ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE ENDS OF SAID I-BEAM A PAIR OF TELESCOPING KNEE RESTS MEMBERS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE KNEE AND FEET REST MEANS FOR SAID BENCH, SAID KNEE REST MEMBERS 